Promised Protection
by KitKatFang
Summary: Richter drags Emil off to locate something, and Aqua doesn't take well to the interest he shows in the boy. When she snaps and tries to kill Emil, Richter is forced to protect him any way he can-resorting to using his own body. Contains -VORE-


**WARNING: This story contains same-size, male-male soft protection vore! If this offends you, or is not to your tastes, I strongly recommend that you click away and find something more suitable to your interests.** There is no need for you to flame this, as it's a waste of your time that you could be spending finding something that is relevant to your interests. If you don't know what vore is, it may be best to click away, or to look it up on Wikipedia. If you are curious, I urge you to keep an open mind, and if you find it not to your tastes respect those of us who do like it, as we're not hurting you with our interests.

Also, mild **spoilers** for the second game, so if you don't know who Aster is you'll be reading at your own risk.

**Disclaimer:** The characters in this story are the property of Namco-Bandai. I am merely creating a fanwork to express my love of the characters, in my own way. I make no money from this work, nor do I claim the rights to anything in this story. The scenario belongs to my friend, who requested these specifics as my half of our collaborative project. However, the idea for Emil lighting himself on fire is mine, because I'm a pryo.

Without further delay, enjoy the story! Oh, wait, I'm pretty sure that there will be come OOCness here.

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_Once again, if you do not know what **VORE** is, I strongly advise you to check my profile for more information._

* * *

Emil glances shyly at the half-elf walking slightly ahead of him. He and Richter have been at odds since their last encounter with each other, so the blond had been rather surprised when the older male had specifically sought him out. Richter had asked (more like demanded) that the teen accompany him as he went to obtain something or other, he hadn't been very specific. It had been tricky to escape from Marta, and Tenebrae had insisted on accompanying them. Richter had flat out refused to allow Tenebrae to come along, and Emil had been surprised by the hint of a blush on the normally serious man's face. After several near-shouted arguments from both, Emil had insisted that Tenebrae stay with Marta, and not tell her that he had gone with Richter. While he didn't approve of this, Tenebrae reluctantly agreed, after Richter had sworn not to harm Emil. The blond isn't sure why Tenebrae is trusting Richter, though he himself trusted that the other wouldn't hurt him.

Emil has long since stopped trying to make conversation. Richter is hardly what one could call the talkative type, and any attempts the boy has made to engage him had ended with some sort of wordless sound or a curt response. He desperately wishes he could find _something_ to talk to the redhead about, the silence is unbearable. He has no idea where they're going, and any attempts to get an answer have ended with a vague answer that really didn't tell him anything at all. He sighs, watching the ground. Why _had_ Richter wanted him to come along? What could he possibly want Emil's help for? Isn't he always getting in Richter's way, or causing trouble by being unable to defend himself to Richter's standards? Emil is so confused, and wrapped up in his thoughts that he doesn't realize Richter has stopped and turned to look at him until he's proceeded to run right into the man's chest.

Emil squeaks and stumbles backwards, flailing his arms as he loses his balance. Richter reacts immediately by grabbing one of said flailing limbs and helping the boy keep from ending up on the ground. He growls softly with annoyance, glaring at the teen before him as the younger stutters out an apology. After a minute he silences him with a growl. The blond shuts his mouth instantly, looking at the ground and trembling slightly. Richter sighs, turning around and muttering something about not being mad and to hurry it up already.

Emil walks faster, this time watching Richter to avoid walking into him again. Not that Emil minded all that much when Richter had grabbed his arm like that and what is he thinking and why the hell is he staring at Richter's butt? He drags his eyes away, his face burning. He tries to resist, but his eyes naturally drift back to the redhead walking in front of him. He watches Richter silently, thinking about him. _Richter's nice to me, in his own way, even if other people might not get it at first. Why is that? I mean, I've never really done anything to deserve that… Have I?_

He pulls himself from his thoughts, deciding that it doesn't really matter why Richter's nice to him, because he enjoys it. He smiles to himself. A moment later, he catches himself staring at the older male once again. _Why can't I stop that? He wouldn't like it if he knew, right? He's not the kind of guy who—eep!_

Emil is snapped out of his thoughts by Richter stopping abruptly and turning to face him. Richter had felt Emil's eyes on him, though he isn't about to confront the boy about that. He merely watches Emil for a moment. For a second, it seems as if he is going to speak, but he shakes his head and turns around, muttering, "Less getting lost in thought and more walking, Emil."

Emil nods, saying, "U-um, r-right!" He tries to keep his thoughts from drifting again, but he can't help it as he continues to think about Richter. He really admires the red-haired man. Richter is usually calm, though he has a temper. Emil thinks that Richter is kind of scary when he's angry. He thinks that Richter is strong and always protecting him when they're together. The thought makes him feel strangely warm and fuzzy inside, and brings a smile to his face. This time the teen manages to pull himself from his thoughts before Richter can reprimand him, and he waits for Richter to tell him why they've stopped again, though he isn't sure if the half-elf will tell him.

Richter watches Emil silently for a minute before gesturing to the small clearing they've come to. Night is falling, and he feels it would be too dangerous to continue traveling. "We'll set up camp here for the night," he says, and watches as Emil nods and immediately begins to scan the area for wood for a fire. It isn't long before Emil is cooking dinner, and Richter allows himself a small half-smile at the thought of seeing what Emil is preparing. Emil's cooking is always good, he thinks, and he's glad he's got another chance to taste it. It isn't long before Emil is handing him his share.

The blond sits down and eats his own food in silence, knowing that trying to draw Richter into conversation is useless. Once they've finished eating, he asks if the food had been to Richter's liking, inwardly sighing at the "It was acceptable" response he receives. He hopes he can figure out what Richter liked, so he can make him something he'd really praise. Still, at least he hadn't cooked the meal poorly, he supposes, and he smiles as he gets himself settled down for the night.

Richter remains awake for some time after Emil has fallen asleep. He watches the boy silently, observing him. _He looks so much like Aster, but he acts so different… It's impossible to think of them as the same person anymore._ He watches as Emil shivers slightly in the breeze that has begun to pick up. After a moment he approaches Emil, taking his coat of and laying it gently over the blond. He smiles as he watches Emil shift, pulling it closer to him in his sleep. He can't deny that the younger boy _is_ adorable. He retreats to where he had been sitting and continues to watch him.

"Master Richter, why do you care so much about Emil? He's not Aster!" Aqua huffs with annoyance. She hates seeing the half-elf pay so much attention to somebody besides herself. SHE loves him, and Emil is the only one he has eyes for! It's infuriating! She just wants to get this trip over with quickly, so they can be rid of the Aster lookalike.

Richter growls softly, dangerously, at the Centurion. "I'm well aware of the fact that he is not Aster, Aqua," he says, completely ignoring her question. Truth be told, he's still trying to puzzle out his feelings for the boy himself. He cares for Emil, he knows that much. He dislikes seeing the boy hurt or upset, but it's difficult for him to show his feelings openly. He sighs quietly and settles himself down to sleep for the night. He won't get anywhere by pondering the question of his feelings tonight.

* * *

When Emil awakens, he smiles, aware of a soft weight upon him as if he were covered by a blanket. It takes him several seconds to realize that he didn't have a blanket when he went to sleep. His eyes open quickly and he sits up, surprised to find that Richter's coat had been what was covering him. He looks at the half-elf, who is already awake and watching him. The teen feels his face heat up uncomfortably, and he mumbles a good morning and a thank-you for lending him the coat. Richter merely nods, and approaches, retrieving said article of clothing.

Emil restarts the fire, and prepares breakfast. Everything goes without a problem until he's putting the fire out as he and Richter prepare to break camp. The slight breeze that has been playing about them picks up suddenly, and a spark flares up. He yelps as it lands on his bangs. Richter whirls around instantly, eyes widening as he sees Emil quickly grabbing his hair with his hand. Richter hurries over, concerned by the noise of pain the blond makes. Emil pulls his hand away, wincing. He's managed to stop his hair from burning too badly, but his hand is burned. He regrets not wearing his gloves right now...

Richter, upon seeing the burn on the boy's hand and seeing the slight damage done to his hair, understand the situation. He gently takes Emil's hand, getting a surprised noise from the younger male, and examines it. After a moment he uses a healing arte, soothing the injured area. He quickly removes a bandage from his pack and some ointment, treating the teen's injury. He doesn't ask if Emil is alright, as he knows the boy would tell him yes when that would be a clear lie. He sighs softly, and says, "You'll be fine."

Emil nods, and retrieves his gloves, putting one of them on and tucking the other into his pack while Richter finishes putting out the fire. They travel in silence, though the blond notices Richter's eyes on him more often than not. He supposes that Richter is showing concern for him. He offers the half-elf a small smile, and is surprised when Richter returns it.

It's several hours before anything if interest happens. Mostly they just walk in silence. Emil fidgets slightly as he tries to keep his eyes off Richter, but fails. He's so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't hear the rustling of branches until he feels a squirming weight land on his head with a _thump_. Emil shrieks with surprise, flailing, as he feels something clinging to his head.

Richter whirls around, startled, and stares at the sight before him. Emil is flailing his arms, yelping "Get it off, get it off!" while trying to dislodge a squirrel from his head. Richter sighs and grabs the teen, holding him still while the frightened animal hops off. Emil grabs his arm tightly, whimpering faintly. He's trembling, Richter notices, and the half-elf sighs once more. After a moment, he realizes that the blond isn't releasing his arm, and is holding almost painfully tightly to him. He feels a faint heat in his cheeks, and forcibly removes his arm from Emil's grasp. Emil blinks nervously at him.

"S-sorry."

"What have I told you about apologizing without need?"

"Oh, r-right. …Sorry…"

Richter sighs, and continues on. Emil hurries to follow him, sticking close to him. It's several more hours before they reach their destination, and Emil balks at the sight of the mouth of a cave looming before them, deep and dark. One look at Richter confirms his fears: they're to go inside the cave. "U-um, I…" Emil stutters, falling silent when Richter turns to look at him.

"No, you're not staying here. It's fine, there's nothing to worry about."

"B-but… What i-if a s-strong monster a-attacks? I…"

Richter watches as Emil glances at his injured hand and he understands quickly: Emil fears he won't be able to properly defend himself in such a situation, and unlike the more open areas above ground there isn't room to escape in an underground setting. He sighs, reaching a hand out and ruffling the boy's blond hair gently. "Courage, remember? There's nothing to be afraid of. If we run into a monster I'll protect you."

Emil blinks up at Richter, surprised by the physical contact. It's _very_ unlike Richter to have direct contact with him unless he needs to, like when he'd stopped him from falling the day before. Emil feels his face heat up at the memory of _why_ he'd almost fallen. He offers Richter a weak smile, nodding and murmuring, "I-I… I trust you, R-Richter…"

Aqua watches silently, invisibly, and glares at Emil. She hates how nice HER Richter is being to the boy. She's just glad that this will be over soon, and they can part ways from him.

* * *

True to his word, Richter protects Emil from every monster they encounter. Deep within the underground network of caverns and tunnels, they take a short rest. Richter keeps alert, his eyes wandering around the area. Something feels wrong, but he can't put a finger on it. He feels uneasy. Glancing at Emil, he can tell the blond senses it, too. It's not long before they're moving again, feeling as if they're being watched. In his unease, Richter fails to notice that he and Emil are circling. It isn't until Emil points it out that he realizes it. He turns, looking around to decide which path to take.

Emil senses the movement rather than hears it. He turns, and cries out as a large shape detaches itself from the inky blackness of a passageway that isn't been lit by the faint, glowing crystals scattered throughout the underground maze. He's knocked to the ground, struggling to keep the monster's jaws from his face and neck, crying out for Richter's help.

The half-elf spins around instantly, and lunges. The monster pulls back, grabbing Emil roughly in its jaws. Cursing, Richter drops his weapons, knowing that if he tries to attack the monster he'll harm Emil in the process. Leaping at the beast, he takes it by surprise, and it drops the teen. Richter draws back and punches it soundly on the snout, earning a yelp of pain. He barely pulls back in time to avoid a fatal attack from the monster's claws. As it is, they rake across his arm, slicing deep into his skin and he lets out a cry of pain. He barely manages to avoid a second swipe. The second swipe hits his shirt, shredding it, but missing his skin as he pulls away. Scrambling back, he manages to grab his sword. As the monster charges, he doesn't have time to correct the grip he has on the weapon, and simply lashes out, striking the monster squarely between the eyes with the hilt of the weapon. To his surprise, the monster pulls back quickly. It whirls around, though, and his sword is knocked from his grip by its tail.

The beast charges him and he punches it again, once more landing a blow on the beast's snout. The monster is stunned, and he swiftly delivers a kick to the side of its head, followed by several more punches, aimed for the jaw. He hears a satisfying crack as he breaks its jaw, and with a few more kicks to the head the beast goes still, dead.

Emil lays on the ground trembling, staring at Richter in shock. _He just beat that monster to death bare-handed! He's… Wow…_ Emil notices then, however, the blood dripping from Richter's injured arm. He scrambles to his feet, alarmed. He hurries to the half-elf's side, noticing Richter struggling to remove his jacket. Emil helps him wordlessly, and removes his shirt, now too shredded by the struggle to be of much use. Wincing sympathetically, Emil examines Richter's arm.

Carefully bandaging it with supplies from his own bag, he apologizes for not getting out of the way of the monster sooner and telling Richter how sorry he is that the redhead was injured protecting him. Richter sighs, muttering something about keeping his promise. Emil finishes bandaging Richter's arm, and helps him put his coat back on, though the shirt is left off due to being useless now. He blinks, feeling his face heat up as he notices how _good_ the older male looks shirtless. He quickly tries to push it from his mind, and is grateful when Richter turns around. But he still can't get the image out of his head. He quietly resigns himself to having the half-elf's half-naked form burned into his memory, not that he actually minds all that much, considering he's finally starting to admit to himself that he is, indeed, attracted to Richter. Not that he can ever tell Richter that, of course.

Richter glances back at Emil, wondering why he's blushing like that. Still, it's rather adorable, and Richter struggles to suppress a smile. He manages to control his voice as he says, "Come on, let's get moving, Emil."

Emil hurries to follow him, hoping they can leave soon.

Aqua fumes at how HER Richter was hurt protecting that stupid kid. She watches Emil with narrowed eyes.

* * *

It seems to have taken an eternity, but finally they've found what Richter was after. Emil gazes at the stone, eyes wide with wonder. It's _glowing_, and it's just so shiny. He thinks it's mesmerizing. He's unaware of Richter's eyes on him, or of the way the redhead smiles as he watches him.

Richter, motivated by some impulse he doesn't quite understand, smiles and holds the stone out to Emil. Emil blinks up at him, tilting his head, confused. "Take it," Richter says, watching as Emil hesitantly reaches out and picks it up. He smiles at the look of childlike wonder and amazement on Emil's face as he stares at it. When the blond finally makes as if to hand it back to him, Richter shakes his head, smiling gently at him. Reaching a hand out and ruffling his hair, he murmurs, "No, keep it. It's yours." Emil looks at him surprise written all over his face, but after a moment holds it close for a few seconds before carefully tucking it into his pack. He smiles at Richter.

"Thank you, Richter. It's really beautiful!"

Richter notes, in the second before he responds, that Emil didn't stutter that time. "Not as beautiful as you, Emil." The instant the words are out of his mouth Richter's eyes widen. He hadn't meant to say that aloud! In some part of his mind he can't believe he just said something like that.

Emil's eyes widen, and he stares at Richter, unable to form a coherent thought as he registers the redhead's words in his mind. He struggles to come up with a response.

Aqua stares in shock. There is _no way_ HER Richter is saying something like that! But he did, and Emil doesn't look like he's going to reject Richter. She glares at the teen, fury overwhelming her and she cries out, "NO!"

Richter turns, startled, as Aqua makes herself visible, face twisting with rage. She yells again, "Master Richter is MINE! You stupid boy, how dare you steal him from me!" She summons several monsters, commanding her large tortoise-like minions, "Kill him, I don't care how, step on him or eat him for all I care!" They attack, and Richter moves quickly to head off the incident.

"Aqua! What the hell are you doing!"

The Centurion glares at Emil, crying "You don't need him, Master Richter! He's our _enemy!_ I'm just taking care of what should have been done ages ago!"

Richter reaches for his weapons, but winces, realizing he's in no condition to fight the monsters. He growls, grabbing Emil's arm and dragging the boy off growling, "Come _on_, Emil. Move!"

Emil squeaks and quickly hurries to keep up with the half-elf. He's startled, and still kind of dazed and having a hard time figuring out what's going on. Aqua obviously doesn't like him, but what she said is true, isn't it? Aren't he and Richter supposed to be enemies? As much as he wants to think of Richter as his friend, they're supposed to be on opposite sides. But Richter seems to care for him, and Richter is obviously trying to protect him. He finds Richter dragging him into a narrow passage, far too narrow for the monsters to get into.

Richter's eyes narrow as he watches the monsters mill around, trying to figure out how to get them. He can't understand why Aqua has chosen _now_ to lose her mind, for that's clearly what's happened, he thinks. He turns to look behind him and curses as he realizes that there's no other way out: the passageway is a dead-end. Still, he thinks they should be safe for as long as it takes Aqua to calm down. The monsters can't get in here, thankfully. He sighs as he sits down, leaning against the wall. He pulls Emil down next to him, and notices Emil's still looking kind of stunned.

Richter puts a hand on Emil's head, offering him a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry about her behavior, I have no idea what's gotten into her."

Emil just nods silently, turning back to watch the monsters warily. He jumps slightly as one of them rams itself into the wall, causing it to crumble a little bit. He whimpers quietly.

Richter sees the monster ram the wall, and sees as they begin to take turns. He curses as he realizes that the wall isn't as sturdy as it had appeared, and that they'll break through eventually. He's afraid that Aqua won't calm down before then. He racks his brain for a solution, any solution, to protect the teen beside him. _Aqua… She just wants Emil out of the way. She won't hurt me, but she wants to kill him. How can I use that to protect him? She'll just summon another monster to grab him if I try to shield him by standing in front of him or something._

The older male watches as the monsters continue, and he feels Emil trembling slightly against him. He continues thinking hard, trying to come up with a way to protect the boy. _She won't hurt me, only him. I have to find some way to use that to my advantage here… She won't hurt me… She won't… Oh._ He shudders slightly as the idea slips into his mind. He winces as he imagines how trying to explain that to Emil would play out, and he can't think of any reaction besides a total freak-out from the younger male. He sighs, wondering how, exactly, to explain this to Emil. As the next monster rams the wall, a small chunk falls down and Emil jumps again, pressing closer to him. He acts quickly, pulling the boy into his lap and holding him protectively.

Emil squeaks with surprise as he's pulled into the older male's lap, and feels his arms wrap around him. He blushes, but he's grateful for the protective way he's being held. He's surprised as he feels a hand gently running through his hair, trying to keep him calm. He blinks a few times as he realizes Richter's trying to get his attention, and he says, "S-sorry…"

Richter rolls his eyes slightly, but pushes the blond back from him enough to look him in the eyes. He watches him for a moment, before asking, "Do you trust me, Emil?"

Emil is confused by the question. Of course he trusts Richter! He nods, wondering why Richter's asking that all of a sudden. He's a bit unnerved by the intensity of the half-elf's stare, and squirms slightly. His eyes widen slightly as he feels Richter gently tugging his scarf off. He squeaks out, "W-Wha—"

"Just take off your sword, Emil. I'm going to protect you. It's a bit unconventional, but I can keep you safe. You just need to be wearing a bit… Less." Richter frowns slightly as he explains a little, very reluctant to explain further. "Just trust me. I promised that I'd protect you, and this is the best way I can think of to do that." He watches as Emil blushes furiously, but stops resisting. Richter quickly discards his scarf, and Emil hurriedly removes his sword and item pouch.

If Richter says that he'll be okay, Emil trusts him. He doesn't really know what Richter's going to do, but… He shivers slightly as Richter starts working to get his top off, and he helps, before removing the one glove he'd had on. He's half-naked now, and his face feels hotter than it's ever felt before. He squeezes his eyes shut as Richter pulls him closer, and he can't help but ask "Wh-what are y-you going t-to do…?"

Richter sighs softly, knowing there's no way around explaining to Emil what he's about to do. He takes a deep breath and says, "I'm going to protect you," he pauses for a moment before continuing in a rather quiet, somewhat embarrassed tone, "by holding you inside my body."

"Oh. Okay—wait, what?"

"Just shut up, close your eyes, and don't fight me," Richter growls softly, trying very hard to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks. He really isn't comfortable with discussing his abilities, much less using them. _Hell, I never even told __**Aster**__ about them, let alone __**showed**__ him, or used them on him!_ He tightens his grip on Emil, who is looking at him like he's lost his mind. _I've already lost Aster. I won't lose Emil, too,_ he thinks, and says "I'm serious. Just… I'll explain some other time, unless you'd _like_ to be eaten by one of those things instead." He nods his head towards the monsters, and watches as Emil glances in their direction.

Emil cringes slightly as another slam breaks off another part of the opening, allowing the monsters to get just a little bit closer to him and Richter. He has no idea how Richter plans to do… That, and he can't help but be scared of finding out. At the same time, though, he remembers Richter's promise to protect him, and the intensity in the half-elf's eyes makes him want to trust him. Emil shivers slightly and closes his eyes, going limp in Richter's arms. He feels a hand gently running through his hair, and hears Richter murmur quietly in his ear, "It's okay, don't be afraid. I'm going to protect you, not hurt you." He's a bit surprised; he's never heard the older man use such a gentle tone before. He feels himself being shifted slightly, and he squeezes his eyes shut tighter.

He's startled by the feeling of something warm and wet against the top of his head, but he forces himself to not think about it, to keep his mind blank. He tries very hard to ignore it as the sensation covers more of his head, and then his face and he feels something slimy moving against him. He lets out a soft whimper and feels Richter's hand rub his back reassuringly. He can't quite keep himself still, his body trembling with fear, though he's telling himself over and over again in his mind that Richter is going to protect him, not hurt him.

Richter mentally winces slightly as he feels Emil continue to shake. He wants to say something to him, but can't, so instead he continues to rub the boy's back gently. He carefully continues to ease Emil into his mouth, relaxing his throat to help take the boy's head in more easily. After several moments, he swallows carefully, pulling the boy deeper into his body. He mentally winces again at the way Emil tenses up before forcing himself to relax.

He could go much faster, he knows, but he wants to be as gentle with Emil as possible. The poor kid's already scared out of his mind. Richter gives his back another reassuring rub, swallowing again. Part of him still can't believe he's actually going through with this, but the taste of Emil's skin against his tongue proves that it's real. Part of him enjoys this, thinks Emil tastes strangely pleasant, but he squashes that part of his mind, feeling his face burn at the thought. He thinks he really is losing his composure, but how could he _not_ right now, with Emil's head starting to slide into his stomach? He tries to block the sensation from his mind, swallowing again.

He spies another chunk of the wall falling from the corner of his eye, and he increases his pace, pulling more of Emil into his mouth and swallowing more frequently. He carefully undoes the boy's pants as his lips wrap around his slight waist, debating with himself for a moment on if he should remove all of the boy's clothing. He hesitates a second, feeling Emil give a more violent shudder inside him, and quickly swallows again, opting to leave the boy's underwear intact. He can't say much for the taste of the cloth as he quickly works the boy's hips into his mouth and he swallows them as fast as he can without being too rough, mentally frowning at the more unpleasant sensation as they pass down his throat.

He has his head tilted back now, using gravity to help with the last bit of Emil, his legs. He removes the boy's shoes and socks as he reaches them, and with a few more light swallows pulls the teen's feet into his mouth. With a few final gulps, he feels them slip down his throat, joining the rest of the blond curled up in his stomach. He hesitantly rests a hand on his distend gut, murmuring, "Emil, are you alright?"

Emil whimpers as he feels his feet slip into the stomach. He shudders at the feel of Richter's hand pressing against him, and can't form words to answer the half-elf. He shakes with fear. He's allowed Richter to do this, but he can't help but be terrified. You swallow something, it ends up in your stomach, and short of being indigestible it ends up digested. He knows Richter has promised to somehow keep him safe, and seeing as Richter has somehow managed to _swallow him whole_, he has good reason to believe the redhead can back up his promise of safety, but he can't rid himself of his fear. He feels Richter's hand move against him, and he can't stop himself, he squirms, letting out a noise of fright as he feels the half-elf's stomach shift around him. Richter's voice isn't making sense to him, he's too afraid to understand him.

Richter's eyes widen slightly at the sensation as Emil squirms inside of him. He bites back a quiet noise of pleasure; it feels amazing! He tries to calm the blond, though, because he knows Emil is moving out of fear. Finally he feels the boy settle down inside him, and he rubs his overstuffed stomach gently, hoping to reassure Emil this time. He can feel the boy shaking inside him. His voice is soft when he murmurs, "Hey, it's okay. You're safe, Emil. I _promise_ that I won't hurt you, you have my word on that." It's a good ten minutes or more before he feels Emil finally go still. Concerned, he asks, "Are you alright, Emil?"

Emil takes a shaky breath, forcing himself to relax. He's safe, Richter _promised _to protect him, and he trusts Richter. Richter won't digest him; he's going to be okay. Richter will let him out again. He keeps repeating this over in his mind, and doesn't realize that Richter's trying to talk to him until he feels a gentle prod from the half-elf. He starts, and finally registers Richter's question, hearing the concern in the older male's voice. His own voice is shaky, but he manages to reply, "I-I th-think s-so, R-Richter… You… You p-promise t-to let m-me out, r-right?" He can't keep his voice steady in the end, and his question comes out slightly shrill.

Richter sighs softly with relief, rubbing his stomach with a slow, gentle, circular motion. It seems to calm Emil, for which he's grateful. He continues, and answers the boy softly. "Of course I will, Emil." He blinks with surprise as he feels a soft rub coming from inside him.

Emil rubs the lining of Richter's stomach gently, smiling weakly to himself. Shivering again, he shifts around a little bit more to find a more comfortable position, and finally settles himself down a few minutes later. The silence stretches for quite some time. After a while, he begins to focus on other things, besides the constant, gentle rubs from the half-elf. Richter's heartbeat is loud and clear, and he can hear the older male's breathing, too. He focuses on these, finding them calming and reassuring. After a bit he gently explores with his hands, amazed at how soft and stretchable Richter's stomach is. He finds, when he thinks about it, that now that his fear has subsided he feels rather comfortable, strangely enough. It's very warm, which somehow comforts him further. He doesn't know how long he stays like that, curled up inside of the half-elf, but eventually Emil's eyes begin to droop, and he falls asleep.

Richter smiles faintly to himself as he feels Emil drift off to sleep inside him. He hesitates for a moment before giving his stomach a gentle pat, leaning back against the wall and resting both hands protectively over the boy inside of him. He glances back to where the monsters have been trying to bash the wall in, and smirks at Aqua, seeing her staring at him in mute shock. Giving his stomach one more gentle rub, he says quietly, "You can't hurt him now, Aqua. And I do not appreciate your attempt to hurt him in the first place." He glares at her, and she vanishes, too stunned to say or do anything.

Richter smiles to himself once more as he looks down at his swollen gut, gently tracing the outline of the blond inside him with his fingertips. He's amazed at how nice this feels, honestly. He's never swallowed something so large before, and the feeling of being so _full_ is amazing. He's tired, though, after all the happenings of the day. Carefully grabbing Emil's clothes, he sets them on the ground to make a makeshift pillow for himself and slowly eases himself down, mindful of the sleeping teen held snugly inside his body. He wraps an arm gently around Emil, allowing himself to fall asleep as well.

* * *

Emil opens his eyes slowly, yawning sleepily. He smiles to himself, feeling how warm he is, and how soft whatever he's wrapped in feels. It takes him several minutes to recall where he is, and when he does he starts, the first tendrils of panic starting to wind through his mind. He forcibly relaxes himself, though, reminding himself that he's safe. It takes him several minutes to completely calm himself. When he has relaxed again, he finds himself smiling, and he snuggles against the lining of the sleeping half-elf's stomach gently, waiting for Richter to awaken.

Richter stirs not long after Emil, and he smiles as he feels the gentle rubs coming from inside of him. He carefully sits up, massaging his belly gently, feeling Emil shift around to a more comfortable position before snuggling up gently inside of him once again. He asks, "How are you doing in there, Emil?"

Emil smiles brightly at the sound of Richter's voice, responding happily, "I'm fine, Richter! I'm not scared anymore. It's, um, a-actually… K-kind of nice i-in here. And, um, it f-feels nice when you r-rub me l-like that…" He hears the half-elf chuckle quietly, followed by a gentle pat to where his head is.

Richter gives a contented sigh, saying, "I'm glad, Emil."

Emil blushes slightly. "Thanks for p-protecting me, Richter." He can't help but feel happy at Richter's response.

"Any time, Emil, any time."


End file.
